Nicholas John Tate is an Australian actor best known for his role as pilot Alan Carter |Alan Carter in the 1970s science fiction television series , as well as for playing the role of James Hamilton in the 1980s Australian soap opera Sons and Daughters.
Life and career
Tate was born in Sydney. His parents were the actors John Tate and Neva Carr Glyn. His maternal grandparents were also actors, originally from Ireland and Great Britain, who performed in vaudeville. His father, of Russian descent, also had a connection to the works of Space:1999 creator Gerry Anderson, being a secondary voice actor in Thunderbirds. Tate's big break came with the Australian television series My Brother Jack, followed by a production of the musical The Canterbury Tales where he played "Nicholas the Gallant" for eighteen months on stage and on tour throughout the country. This was followed by the 1970 Australian television series Dynasty about rich, powerful family, where he joined his father John Tate for the first time onscreen; the two playing father and son roles. Tate portrayed astronaut Alan Carter in the British science fiction series ', which was broadcast from 1975-77, though the series began production in late 1973. In 1976, he broke through in film with an AACTA award-winning role in the movie The Devil's Playground. He continued to work in film with supporting roles in a number of theatrical films, including The Year My Voice Broke, Richard Attenborough's Cry Freedom, Return from the River Kwai, Evil Angels, and Steven Spielberg's Hook. From 1985-86, he portrayed James Hamilton in the Australian soap opera Sons and Daughters. Tate has also made guest appearances on numerous American TV shows, such as The X-Files, Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, ', Murder, She Wrote, ', Farscape and in the Lost episode "Tabula Rasa". On stage, Tate appeared in the TRIP stage production of Duty Free, by Emmerdale writer Neville Siggs, which ran from 1976 to 1977 at the Bristol Hippodrome. He returned to the stage in 2006 when he played the leading role of Captain Edward J. Smith in the Australian premiere of the musical Titanic. Tate is also known for his voiceover work in theatrical trailers for such films as Jurassic Park and ', as well as work in commercials, including Guinness beer spots airing beginning in 2006. Tate and four other well known voice artists parodied their individual voiceover styles en route to an awards show in a 1997 short film, 5 Men and a Limo. In 2000, he provided the voice for the Australian tycoon Ozzie Mandrill in the gameEscape from Monkey Island. He was also in the 2014 filmLupin III. Tate resides in both Australia and the US.
